Part One: Radovan Karadžić: The Genocidal Dictator Who Became a New-Age Guru
Sep 22, 2026 · 1h 13m
Summary
Hosts Jamie Loftus and Sophie Lundberg discuss Radovan Karadžić, the Bosnian Serb leader responsible for the Srebrenica genocide, who later lived as a new-age energy healer. The episode explores the complex ethnic and religious history of the Balkans, detailing the brutalities of World War II and the rise of the Ustashi and Chetnik factions. They also examine Karadžić’s family lineage, including his father’s violent past, and the cultural context of Serbian folklore and oral traditions.
Topics discussed
9/11 reflections and the 'Big Trouble' film delay
Novel announcements and the 'John Locke' shirt trend
Introduction to Radovan Karadžić and the Balkans
Sponsor segment: YouTube Premium
Geopolitics of the Balkans and Ottoman conflict
Montenegrin warrior culture and epic poetry
The Karađorđević family and Vuk Karadžić's legacy
Serbia in WWI and the formation of Yugoslavia
WWII in Yugoslavia and the delay of Operation Barbarossa
The Ustaše, Chetniks, and ethnic violence in WWII
Methods of execution and the brutality of the war
German diplomatic complaints and Chetnik collaboration
Josip Broz Tito and the Partisan victory
Post-war Yugoslavia and simmering ethnic tensions
Vuk Karadžić's accidental killing of his cousin
Radovan's childhood, family dynamics, and education
Radovan in Sarajevo: student activism and early nationalism
Sponsor segment: Roland Martin Unfiltered
Radovan at Columbia University and his poetry
Career as a psychiatrist and Red Star team psychologist
Fraud conviction, prison, and the collapse of Yugoslavia
Rise of nationalism and the end of the episode
Sponsor segments: Lingo Kids and BetterHelp
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